MechMate CNC Router Forum

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-   Utility software (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17)
-   -   Dovetails and other joints (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3965)

alan254 Mon 23 June 2014 06:05

Hi Ger,

I am willing to test. Most of my work is furniture and cabinets. I can see where could also be easily set up mortise and tendon work also.

Great job. I am a buyer

AL

alan254 Mon 23 June 2014 06:13

Just reviewed post #47 and see you have already have a tab for mortise and tendon. Way ahead of me.

Thanks

ger21 Mon 23 June 2014 06:55

Mortise and tenons won't be added until the end of the year, after I add the box/finger joints.

I've spent the vast majority of my spare time working on this over the last 6 months.

I need to spend the next few months on documentation, website design, and the business end of it.

I'll get to it, but it's taking far longer than I'd hoped.

Andrew_standen Mon 23 June 2014 16:12

Hi Ger,

Count me in, been watching you for a while, it's looking good.
Software development takes time, I should know I've been a programmer for 25 years.
Take your time and get it right.
I'm a buyer for this.
Cheers
Andrew

alan254 Wed 25 June 2014 05:47

I know about the business end. Tough.

I am willing to pre pay for the program at your projected price if that will help a I know others will you are very trusted on this site.

Thanks Al

pblackburn Wed 25 June 2014 19:04

Ger, I will purchase this when you say it is ready.

ger21 Thu 26 June 2014 08:29

Thanks for the support, guys. Right now I'm looking out over the ocean in sunny Vancouver, British Columbia, while on a much needed vacation. But I'm spending a few hours each morning working on the manual.

pblackburn Thu 26 June 2014 21:04

Enjoy the time off. The manual can come later. :cool:

rcboats1 Fri 27 June 2014 03:17

Gerry, if your going to come south towards Seattle let me know and I will buy you a beverage.

Kelly.

ger21 Fri 27 June 2014 09:22

Thanks for the offer, but no, I won't be in the states out here, as we flew directly into Vancouver. Last time I was here we flew into Seattle and drove, but I didn't want to spend the time driving this time.

jask Thu 03 July 2014 00:38

I hope you had a great vacation out here! the weather has been all over the chart this year. I am really impressed with your work on this! please ad my name to your Beta buyers list.

ger21 Mon 25 August 2014 20:37

3 Attachment(s)
Making up some samples for website photos using different hardwoods for color contrast. I'm going to glue up 8-10 different joints, and sand and finish them for the pics.
First one is African Mahogany and Flamed Birch. Variable sized pins and tails.

Incredibly tight fit, and very clean cuts.

racedirector Mon 25 August 2014 20:40

Oh you are just teasing now! :) Looks fantastic, can't wait to get my machine done and dusted so I am ready for when all this goes on sale......

Robert M Mon 25 August 2014 21:43

Zvanderfull ;)

Tom Ayres Tue 26 August 2014 03:38

Gerry, they look great! Can't wait!

Fox Tue 26 August 2014 07:02

Not want to be nagging ( really impressive + i'm not a woodworker) just wondering;

however big or small they may be, it seems like there are on some joints gaps and others not ? in other words irregular results ? Or is this an optical illusion ?

And the fingers sticking out ever so slightly is that on purpose, so you sand them flat after glueing ?

In the end you need to glue it, so it actually should also not be too tight, right , to get the glue in ?

ger21 Tue 26 August 2014 08:12

The small gap in the middle (about .01" or less) is the result of assembling and disassembling a few time, which crushed the wood a little. Thre's only really one small gap, which I think is the result of the board being warped, or deflection of the wood, as it's very thin at the top pin. For perfect joints, it's imperative that your stock is perfectly square and flat, and your zero positions are absolutely perfect. Any errors anywhere in the setup will show in the joint.
It's also part optical illusion. It's really a very good joint. If there were any inconsistencies, it wouldn't fit together.

Yes, the joints are purposely cut .02" long, which is sanded of after assembly.

You may or may not need some additional clearance for glue, depending on the type of glue used. There's a clearance setting in the software to adjust the fit.
Polyurethane glues (gorilla glue) and epoxies act as a lubricant, so you can have a very tight joint with those glues. Regular wood glues (Titebond) need some clearance, as they will make the joint actually seem tighter.

I'm making these to show the capabilities of the software, so the finished product will be perfect.

Fox Tue 26 August 2014 12:02

Sounds like you got everything covered, looking forward !

pblackburn Tue 26 August 2014 13:38

Awesome job Ger.

technogod Tue 26 August 2014 16:44

i believe your products are well planed and easy to use Gerry.hope will be on sale soon so that we can purchase.
good job.

Tom Ayres Sat 30 August 2014 04:10

Gerry are you still on target by the end of the year?

ger21 Sat 30 August 2014 07:22

I'm hoping to release it with dovetails only in about a month.
I'm assuming there will be a few(?) minor bugs that will turn up once other people start using it, which will possibly a few weeks of bug fixing.
Once those issues are ironed out, I'll start working on the box joints.
I can't guarantee I'll have it 100% done by the end of the year, but I'll be working on it.

I worked on this from December to June, almost daily, to get it where it is now. It's taken far longer than I though it would. I'm hoping that the remainder goes faster, as I've learned a lot this past year.

I realized yesterday that my method for adjusting the fit does not work with through dovetails, so I need a different method.
With half blind dovetails, you just vary the depth of cut top adjust the fit.
Shallower = looser, deeper = tighter.
With through dovetails, changing the depth of cut just moves the location of the pin board in relation to the end of the tail board.
It looks like I need to change the size of the pins to adjust the fit. I have an idea on how to do this, which is hopefully relatively painless. (only a few hours?)



Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox View Post

however big or small they may be, it seems like there are on some joints gaps and others not ? in other words irregular results ? Or is this an optical illusion ?
While some of what you saw was due to optical illusions (from shadows), you were correct, there were some irregular gaps. I had assumed that they were caused by flex in my machine, because the joints still fit together very well. Typically, when there are errors, they just won't go together at all.
But I went through the g-code, and found a few errors in my toolpaths, which were off between .002"-.004" in some places. I should have this fixed up today.

Tom Ayres Sat 30 August 2014 07:35

Can't wait, thanks:)

Fox Sat 30 August 2014 10:21

Quote:
While some of what you saw was due to optical illusions (from shadows), you were correct, there were some irregular gaps. I had assumed that they were caused by flex in my machine, because the joints still fit together very well. Typically, when there are errors, they just won't go together at all.
But I went through the g-code, and found a few errors in my toolpaths, which were off between .002"-.004" in some places. I should have this fixed up today.
Big of you to admit that here.
Good to know for me that my eye for detail did not fail me, and even better that you got it sorted !

ger21 Sun 21 September 2014 19:48

Have a website up, and should be ready to go sometime within the next week.

http://g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

racedirector Sun 21 September 2014 20:11

Excellent Gerry, money at the ready as soon as the ???? become numbers :)

ger21 Sun 28 September 2014 05:48

After nearly two years, the wait is finally over.

http://g-forcecnc.com/jc_purchase.html

racedirector Sun 28 September 2014 06:23

Excellent, as soon as my machine starts to make dust I will be grabbing a copy!

Robert M Sun 28 September 2014 11:24

GREAT NEWS...Thanks for giving “birth” to this great tool!
Sorry for not helping more....
Wishing you business success with it.
Later, Robert ;)

pblackburn Sun 28 September 2014 12:52

I don't know if I will ever use it but your help to myself and others warranted a purchase.
Thanks Ger.


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